A Net Zero Journey: Huber's Future with EVP & Chief Sustainability Officer Jennifer Mason
- Evan J. Cholfin
- Jul 3
- 3 min read
Leading with Purpose, Transforming First-Hand
By Evan J. Cholfin
What Does It Take To Build A Sustainable Environment For A Company
Most companies talk about sustainability. But what does it really look like when it’s embedded into your operations, your supply chain, and even your product development?
In the latest episode of A Healthier, Happier You, I sit down with Jennifer Mason, EVP and Chief Sustainability Officer at Huber, a global portfolio company with a 150-year legacy—and a future vision just as ambitious.
Jennifer and I explore:
🌍 How Huber is staying accountable with a Net Zero 2050 commitment
📊 Why data integrity is the unsung hero of real sustainability work
🌱 How “Products on Purpose” brings global impact goals to the factory floor
🔥 Why wildfire resilience may come from surprising cross-sector collaboration
💡 What Scope 3 means—and why it’s the most complex puzzle in climate action
The Sustainable, Strategic Mark
For many businesses, sustainability is still a slide deck. Passing through everyone's heads as if it were a fly on the wall. For Huber, it's a system.
Jennifer Mason makes one thing clear: sustainability at Huber isn't a side initiative; it's a growth strategy. With a New Zero 2050 goal and a strong focus on circularity, water stewardship, and emissions reduction, Huber's approach is built on transparency and collaboration.
But getting there isn't going to be easy. Every moment and action is a risk, and that's one Huber will take to get the job done through many obstacles.
✅ Challenge of achieving data consistency across business units. Inaccurate utility bills or siloed software can throw off an entire year of reporting.
✅ Huber is focused on making its emissions data auditable and trusted, investing in tech and tools that reduce human error
✅ Every product line is being evaluated for alignment with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals through their "Products on Purpose" initiative.
It's not about perfection. It's about progress, with clarity.
That means being willing to confront blind spots, evolve systems that once worked, and invest in teams who ask better questions.
Sustainability isn't a finish line; it's a mindset shift that must happen at every level of an organization.
Why Cross-Functional Collaboration Drives Innovation
One of the most powerful insights from this conversation is that collaboration is the new competitive edge.
Huber's unique business structure comes down to fire retardants and wood production. It's opened the doors to unexpected innovations. From reducing wildfire risk to designing circular solutions, the breakthroughs are happening when teams that don't usually speak... actually start speaking up.
It's a reminder that sustainability can't sit in one department. It thrives across every function, team, and factory.
✅ Wood + Fire Retardants = wildfire solutions
✅ Internal collaboration = stronger ideas, faster execution
✅ Shared sustainability vision = deeper employee engagement
As Jennifer puts it: “No single company will figure this out alone.”
Why Smart Product Strategy Wins Over Trend Chasing
Huber isn't chasing quick wins, and that's all by design.
They are trying to emphasize the fact that it's important to keep this long-term perspective all around. When annual results fluctuate due to acquisitions, factory changes, or external pressures, things don't need to be jeopardized. Just stay the course is the overall goal.
✅ Net Zero 2050 isn’t just a number. It’s a map.
✅ Short-term noise (especially from political uncertainty) can’t derail core priorities.
✅ Sustainability isn’t a charity—it’s operational excellence.
Huber understands that sustainability isn't a race for the headlines, it's a commitment to internal clarity and long-term thinking. Each decision made today is about shaping a future that won't show up in tomorrow's stock price, but will define the company's integrity for decades.
This isn't about reacting to every external shake-up. It's about staying rooted in a vision. Whether it's navigating the ripple effects of acquisitions, balancing costs at scale, or managing environment complexity, Huber is choosing resilience over reactivity. Their strategy reinforces that sustainability isn't separate from performance, it is performance done in the righteous way possible.
Listen to the Full Episode
From wildfire resilience to data integrity, product alignment to long-term climate goals—this episode is packed with insight for sustainability leaders and strategic thinkers looking to turn big goals into real business action.
🎧 Listen now: Podcast Audio
📽️Watch the full interview: Podcast Video
The future of sustainability is collaborative, intentional, and built to last—are you ready to lead it?
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